Management plans for natural protected areas in Mexico: La Sierra de la Laguna case study

Abstract

Summary Mexican Natural Protected Areas main goals are to protect biodiversity in the core areas and to achieve sustainable development of natural resources in their influence zone. According to Mexican legislation, all newly established biosphere reserves must have a Management Plan (MP). This MP must regulate all activities in the area, and guarantee that the short-and long-term objectives of the reserve will be achieved satisfactorily. In this paper, we outline the required information and topics to be included in all MPs. We describe the main recommendations offered in the MP for a new Natural Protected Area in Mexico: the La Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve. The document provides the Federal authorities with all the basic information, scientificallysupported, for sustainable management of the natural resources of the reserve. The main goal of this MP was to promote the sustainable socioeconomic development of the region, its resources, and its inhabitants.The information provided should be useful to compare with other countries the differences and similarities in official guidelines of MPs, to enhance sustainable use of resources in Natural Protected Areas.